I only come in to the pits so you can catch up…with the latest temp readings…
To my mind, the S1 is NOT a usable everyday prospect.
That’s not to say it’s an impossibility, if you’re mad enough and wealthy enough then by all means, it’s possible. But with the VHPD in stock form and the fact that I’ve seen how badly certain parts of an S1 dissolve over time, you’ll be a braver man than I.
Don’t get me wrong, like Neil, I LOVE my S1. I love how it can trade laptimes on the track with some SERIOUS stuff, and on a back-road can easily show Evos etc how it should be done. And I also love the sense of occasion I get EVERY time I drive it.
I DO occasionally take mine to work, the gym or the shops if I’m feeling like it and it has occasionally become my first-car when the daily-driver has been down for maintenance or otherwise out of action… but I couldn’t bring myself to do it every day… the thing would just fall apart after a couple of years.
The S1 is a car to pamper, admire and thrash the pants off when the occasion suits. The S2 (N/A) at least it a hardtop 111R Sports Racer.
Take a look a the link in my sig to see exactly how much love an S1 can require at times… and I bought a good’un! 
I’ve lived happily with my S1 for 3 years on a daily commute of around 7 miles each way. I find it takes 3 or 4 miles to warm up in the traffic and I rarely get above 50 mph. Though I never tire when the opportunity arises to drop it 4th or 5th into 2nd and give it a boot full and then listen to the pops and bangs on the overrun as you catch up the car ahead.
As advised above, I’d test drive both the S1 and S2 and try and make a choice.
Whatever you end up with you won’t find many occasions when you can drive the car hard on the public road without it becoming quickly dangerous.
IMHO The S2 is a more refined/mature version of the S1 in terms of build quality, trim, usability etc
[quote=Toby]I’ve lived happily with my S1 for 3 years on a daily commute of around 7 miles each way. I find it takes 3 or 4 miles to warm up in the traffic and I rarely get above 50 mph. Though I never tire when the opportunity arises to drop it 4th or 5th into 2nd and give it a boot full and then listen to the pops and bangs on the overrun as you catch up the car ahead.
As advised above, I’d test drive both the S1 and S2 and try and make a choice.
Whatever you end up with you won’t find many occasions when you can drive the car hard on the public road without it becoming quickly dangerous.
IMHO The S2 is a more refined/mature version of the S1 in terms of build quality, trim, usability etc [/quote]
glad to see my old car still being used daily (which i also did) when i bought it i paid �21000 and couldnt afford to have it just sitting there
hope the car is still good toby im itching to get another but funds will only stretch to a s1 elise at moment
This is very much going to be a personal decision, which I think is clear enough from the range of responses so far. The best actual advice I can give is to get some real experience of the two cars, beyond a short test drive. I’m sure a lot of the guys and gals around here (me included) would be happy to take you for an extended shotgun ride or two so you can get a feel for things.
I’m a devoted S1 owner and not afraid of hardcore cars in general but personally I don’t enjoy everyday journeys in mine at all, and do my best to avoid them. Things are somewhat better since my recent visit to Dave Walker for a remap and the change to Jenvey throttle bodies, which have made the car much less snatchy around town. Before that, I was a borderline roadrage case by the time I’d got home after a long run back from a trackday with the cross-London chore tacked on the end. I have also thrown an inordinate amount of cash at the car in maintenance and mods in order to get it to its current state (approx �7k a year over the four years I’ve had it – yes SEVEN GRAND). It is an absolutely fantastic car around a circuit or on the open road, as long as the road surface isn’t really, really shagged. I’ve been a member of a couple of the “supercar clubs” and can say without any exaggeration that in terms of driver rewards it completely pees on most of the exalted machinery you read about in the mags, with the notable exception of the Porsche GT3s which aren’t necessarily better, just different.
IMO, the S2 is surprisingly different, considering how similar the basic package looks on paper. I’ve driven a couple of them, the first was a brand new NA car in 2004, and the second was a 220S a year or so ago. The supercharged car felt about as fast as my S1 on the road, and a whole lot more civilised and driveable. The stock suspension kit worked much better with rough b-road surfaces (this was in Kent, going out from SE London towards the coast near Rye) and the engine was perfectly tractable with bags of in-gear torque. Although my car is undoubtedly quicker on circuit, on road there’s little in it unless you’re willing to absolutely wring the S1’s neck the whole time.
There’s no doubt you can feel the S2’s additional weight in a back-to-back drive – I literally felt it in the extra steering weight when I put on the first armful of lock getting out of the car park – but in isolation it’s still a deft little flyweight compared to faux “stripped-out” road-racers such as a GT3 or a Ferrari 360 Stradale (that both weigh as much as my old Impreza). The interior is much nicer than the S1’s and the drivetrain will almost certainly be more reliable. The aircon in the S2 works nicely, while the salt line on the driver’s seat of my non-aircon S1 tells you everything you need to know about how hot it gets, even in winter. And despite two attempts at solving it, I still have creeping aromas of exhaust gas inside the cabin when I open the windows.
In summary, I’d far prefer an S2 as a road car, to the extent that I’m seriously thinking about having a 260 Cup alongside the S1 for pure road use and trips to the Ring. But as I said at the start, you should get some exposure to both cars before making your final choice, everyone has a different endurance threshold and different priorities. There is no doubt that the S1 provides one of the world’s great driving experiences, and on the right day and on circuit or the right road it will put a smile on your face in a way that the S2 can’t quite match. You’re facing a tough choice but it’s a good problem to have – either way you’ll end up with one the best steers that any amount of money can buy.
HTH
Mike
Seconded, Mike.
Having owned an S1, driven an N/A S2, & now have a S240 I’d say you’ve hit the nail on the head there
My S just doesn’t feel as planted as the S1, although that could be a Geo issue? On the road the S is fab, but S1 is best for the track.